Visiting Scholars

Visiting Scholar or Visiting Student Researcher

Procedures and Policies

English Department, UC Berkeley

We welcome your interest in beceoming a visting scholar/visiting student reseracher with our department! As you are considering this opportunity please read below for the basic procedure to apply.

1. You will need to contact a faculty member of the English Department to see if they will serve as your faculty sponsor during your stay. You can do this by checking the faculty directory on our website for contact information. Please do not spam the entire department. Please send an introductory letter, brief reserach proposal, and CV to the faculty member you would like to sponsor you. Note: the English Department cannot provide any funding (airfare, housing, etc.) or office space, but the faculty sponsor will offer guidance and advice.

2. Once you have a faculty mentor, send an email to the Administrative Officer (adminofficer_english@berkeley.edu) with the name of your faculty sponsor and the start and end dates of your timein Berkeley. These dates can be approximate, but we will need to know month, date, and year.

3. The Administrative Officer will send your request to Campus Shared Services (CSS ). CSS will then contact you directly about all required documents: the biographical page of your passport, proof of funding requirements for your stay in Berkeley, and proof of English language proficiency (e.g. a TOEFL score or a letter from your home institution or Berkeley mentor). After they have obtained the three documents, CSS will send you a DS-2019 that you will need to obtain your J-1 visa (if needed). This process can take up to 10 business days from the time the International Office receives the documents from CSS. Once you receive the DS-2019, make an appointment with the U.S. Embassy in your country to obtain the J-1 visa.

4. There are 3 basic fees.

a) The visa-processing fee is $500, which you can either pay back to the English department when you arrive in Berkeley or send before hand via a banker's demand draft. If you would like to pay ahead of time, please contact the Administrative Officer for more information. (Most scholars pay when they arrive).

b) There is an additional $500 University fee that you'll need to pay online by credit card upon arrival at UC Berkeley. This fee allows you various privileges as a visiting scholar such as a Cal1 ID card (which also serves as a library card), a Berkeley e-mail address, access to the RSF gym, and discounts on public transportation.

c) Allvisitors are required to have health insurance coverage. If you do not have health insurance outside of your country, you must purchase health insurance here. Click here for more information, including premiums.

5. Housing. You may wish to sign up for Cal Rentals that has a comprehensive list of available rentals. There is a small fee for this service. Please be aware that rents are very expensive in the Bay Area.

6. When you arrive in Berkeley, Campus Shared Services on-boarding team will arrange a meeting to complete arrival documentation as well as to examine your passport/visa and DS-2019. You will also need to meet with the Administrative Officer in Hearst Field Annex, Building B to pay the visa processing fee (if it was not paid ahead of time). We are open from 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm M-F. Please contact the Administrative Officer to set up an appointment. The fee must be paid in exact cash or via a check made out to UC Regents.

Some other items to note:

The whole process –until you have your visa in hand –can take up to 4 months. Start early.

Do not make a visa appointment until you have your DS 2019 in hand.

You can find more information regarding the J-1 visa here and more information regarding the visiting scholar program at UC Berkeley here.